


Besides, aren't you into Edamame?

by mixy



Category: Great Pretender (Anime)
Genre: Dialogue Heavy, Falling In Love, First Kiss, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, Kissing, Love Confessions, M/M, Misunderstandings, Pining, Walks On The Beach
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-06
Updated: 2020-12-06
Packaged: 2021-03-10 04:21:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,657
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27918154
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mixy/pseuds/mixy
Summary: “I have a confession.” He blurts.Edamura looks a little taken aback.“You look really scary right now! So serious.”
Relationships: Edamura Makoto/Laurent Thierry
Comments: 10
Kudos: 231





	Besides, aren't you into Edamame?

“Besides, aren't you into Edamame? Or trying to be anyway.”

Laurent continues drawing and schools his features to appear unaffected by Cynthia’s off-hand comment, which lands a little too close to the truth for his liking. Clearly Cynthia’s gotten too good at reading him, though, because she gives him one of her signature knowing little smiles and suggests going to see Edamura at his new job. However, when they arrive they see Edamura storming out of the kitchen, hollering in Japanese which makes Laurent smile at the familiarity of it all.

Edamura brings them to the hostel he’s staying at, a lovely little cottage just outside the downtown area. Laurent sits across from him and tries not to let his eyes linger on Edamura’s exposed collarbones. His sweater is oversized on him, the V-neck hangs low, exposing enough skin to make Laurent loosen his neck tie, feeling flushed despite the chilly weather.

“I thought you said you wanted honest work, that’s why we found you that job.” 

Laurent says.

“I don’t want to work there.” 

Edamura grouses.

Laurent’s steeples his fingers together and rests his chin on his hands to hide the predatory smirk on his lips.

“Then the answer is simple, come back to us.”

_Come back to me,_ he almost says.

“I refuse.” 

Edamura answers easily.

Laurent makes like he’s observing the room, and starts to engage conversation about the painting hanging in the inn. Of course it’s no coincidence that it’s there, and Laurent really didn’t want to have to do this to drag Edamura in again, but he’s really left him with no other choice. 

As the innkeeper serves them the tiramisu for dessert, he suggests that Edamura really shouldn’t quit his job and Laurent watched the emotions play over his face. He smiles,

“I’ll go apologize tomorrow.”

“To the restaurant owner?”

“Yes, there’s a lot of things that annoy me about that place, but it’s honest work, and I have a comfortable place to stay. I’ll be punished for sure if I don’t.”

Edamura finishes, looking hopeful.

“Is that so?” 

Laurent drawls.

After dessert, when they leave, Laurent and Cynthia bundle in their coats and scarves for the short walk from the front door to the street corner where their cab waits. Laurent tries to ignore the way his heart twinges with every bump in the uneven cobblestone roads during the ride back to the hotel. Back to the hotel room, back to his cold empty bed.

“That’s what you like about him though, and you know it.”

Cynthia supplies,

“You like it when they play hard to get.”

Laurent sighs and swirls his wine in it’s glass back at their hotel room, watching the sediment rise and then fall slowly back down to the bottom. Maybe she’s right, he does enjoy a good chase. 

“I just don’t know how much more this old heart can take!”

He closes his eyes and lets his hand come up to rest over his heart dramatically.

Cynthia gives a little chuckle at his antics, they’re both very drunk. It’s the only time they’ll open up to each other like this.

“You could always try telling him how you feel.” 

Laurent’s gaze darts from his wine glass to her face but she goes for a faux nonchalant sip of her drink, so as to not meet his eyes.

“I’ll find a way to reel him back in.” He says,

already a plan forming in his mind, his thoughts flowing with the wine. The bottle they opened earlier is now empty.

“Oh Laurent,” She says, pity or maybe drunkenness making her voice darken.

“When will you ever learn?”

He stands, and his vision warps, the hotel rooms seems like it’s too big and too small all at once , 

“I think I’m going to turn in for the night.”

“Suit yourself!”

Cynthia calls, as he pads (unsteadily) to his room and closes his door with a quiet click. 

The next morning he wakes up with a hangover and an ache that feels uncomfortably close to yearning in his chest. It’s been a long time since Laurent has longed for anything other than the thrill, lies, and the money that all comes with the nature of the con artist business. Drowning himself in the deceit, and the adrenaline, and the violence, Laurent lives and breathes it. He always feels most himself when he is someone else. Then Makoto Edamura came along, and shook up Laurent’s world with his stubbornness, and unflinching morals and need to do the right thing; even at the risk of the job. 

It’s so refreshing to see someone so sure of themselves, especially in this kind of business. Having a strong sense of self is something Laurent hasn’t ever really had, and seeing it in Edamura makes him want to hold on and never let go. On top of that, Laurent likes the person he is around him. Laurent finds that Edamura brings out the best in him, always pressuring him to do what’s right. It’s the kind of person Laurent wants to be.

And so he orchestrated Edamura’s encounter with Coleman and the closing of the restaurant, all to get close to him yet again. Laurent relishes in Edamura’s company, teasing him for his con gone wrong, selling a famous and rare piece of art for such a meager sum of 25000 euros. And then spilling to him the promising details of his plan to get the painting back. Abby finds him at the end of that day, just before he’s about to turn in for the night. She chides him,

“You should really stop mucking around in other people’s lives, ya know that?”

Laurent holds her gaze.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about!” He guffaws,

giving her one of his text book shrugs and a smirk. All while his fingers tighten minutely on the stem of his glass.

“Whatever,” 

She relinquishes.

“Between you and Cynthia, you’re gonna clean out the hotels wine cellar.”

Laurent doesn’t miss the veiled concern in her voice, has he really been drinking that much lately? He looks away to hide his face that no doubt flushes at his discomfort. When he looks up out of his daze Abby is gone. 

The auction is only a couple of days away, Laurent and Edamura sit in the hotel room, anxious to hear how Cynthia’s dinner with Thomas went. Everything is going according to plan, all that’s left to do is wait until she gets back. It’s only around 5 now, Laurent and Edamura just polished off a late lunch. Laurent declines to drink, thinking about what Abby said a couple of nights ago, even though he knows it would soothe his nerves. He finds that he’d fancy a walk so he asks Edamura to come with.

“The beach? it’s freezing outside!”

Laurent moves from the couch to the doorway to put on his coat.

“Come on, Edamame, it’ll help clear your head.”

“Alright, alright.” He caves.

They walk along the beach and Edamura was right, it is freezing, but Laurent has always enjoyed something about the beach in winter time, especially here in Nice. He almost feels at home, France makes his edges feel softer; less dangerous and a little more like himself. They walk together close enough that Laurent can hear Edamura’s teeth chattering. Laurent looks over at him, about to ask him if he’s alright, but follows his gaze to stare at the hypnotizing waves crash along the beach as they walk. They both stop by a craggy out-cropping where the cliff meets the shore and stare into the wind blown surf together as the sunset washes the sky in bright oranges and pinks.

“Hey Laurent,”

He is startled out of his reverie by Edamura’s very casual and unguarded tone of voice 

“Hmm?” He hums to let the other know he’s listening.

“Thanks for taking me out here, you were right, my head does feel a lot clearer.”

Laurent feels his gaze on him, so he turns and takes in Edamura’s face, wind chapped cheeks dusted pink and his hair blown every which way. The sight is arresting, Laurent can’t help but stare. Edamura gives him a wry look,

“Are you alright?” He begins,

Laurent looks into Edamura’s eyes which gaze back into his own with warm mirth and what Laurent is surprised to recognize as affection.

“I have a confession.” He blurts. 

Edamura looks a little taken aback.

“You look really scary right now! So serious.”

He imitates what Laurent’s face must look like right now and it coaxes a self deprecating chuckle out of him. God, what does Laurent even say now? Edamura looking so expectantly at him gets him nervous again. He settles with:

“Please don’t leave again.”

A frown forms on Edamura’s face and he averts his eyes.

“I told you I don’t really like this kind of lifestyle.”

Laurent feels like someone is slowly squeezing all of the air out of his lungs, his eyes falling to the sand at Edamura’s feet. After a moment, Laurent takes a deep breath and let’s the air rush out of his lungs in a deep sigh, 

“I need you, Makoto.”

“W-what is that supposed to mean?”

Maybe using his first name wasn’t the best choice, his guard is obviously up now. Laurent can’t blame him, it’s not like he has reason to trust him. Laurent gaze flicks back up to meet Makoto’s,

“What I mean by that is; You’re somebody I want around.”

Makoto’s expression quickly switches from confusion to anger and Laurent curses the fact he’s a grown ass man that still can’t talk about his emotions properly.

“It’s not what you’re thinking, I swear,” he says before Makoto has a chance to interject.

He holds his hands out placatingly,

“Just hear me out, please.”

“And why should I?”

Makoto grouses.

“Why should I listen to anything you have to say? You’re the con artist,” 

The way Makoto spits out those words: “Con artist,” like it’s sand in his mouth, feels like someone knocked the wind out of him.

“Why should I think you want me around for any other reason than to use me for my skill set?”

Laurent stuffs his hands in his coat pockets petulantly as his temper flares up in a rare moment of frustration. He grits his teeth,

“You just have to trust me on this one, Makoto.”

Makoto runs his hands through his hair and down his face, tension vibrating off of him.

“Do you understand how hard for me that is? After all the shit you’ve pulled to rope me into your schemes?”

Makoto rises up on the balls of his feet to get in Laurent’s face and point an accusatory finger.

“Give me one good reason why I should trust you!”

Laurent however doesn’t back down, his expression is set hard, staring at Makoto, he takes a shaky breath and smiles bitterly,

“You’re gonna make me say it, aren’t you?”

“You better have something to say for yourself, asshole!”

Laurent grimaces, his whole body going rigid and voice tense at the effort to utter:

“I’m in love with you, Makoto.”

His voice wavers over Makoto’s name and he feels the sting of tears coming on. He’d like to say it’s the cool sea breeze biting his skin and the fact that the sun is slipping under the horizon to do with the reason he feels cold all over. But what really makes him shiver, despite his warm coat, is the look on Makoto’s face.

Laurent tucks his chin to his chest, attempting to hide in the upturned collar of his coat.

“I’m sorry,”

He stammers, starts again, his hand rubbing nervously over the back of his neck

“This isn’t how I wanted this conversation to go.”

“You-you love me?”

Makoto looks completely dazed by his sudden confession, Laurent feels like a complete ass.

“You don’t have to say it back,” He says, even though it pains him.

“I just wanted you to know.”

He tries to give him a small smile but he knows it’s not reaching his eyes. They sit and stare at the ocean in awkward silence for a painful minute or two where Laurent wishes he could crawl into bed and never come out from under the covers again. He’s so embarrassed and flustered but he feels lighter, in some way; almost relieved. Makoto isn’t running away, yet. Makoto finally breaks the silence, looking away from the sea and back at Laurent.

“Thank you,” He mummers simply, before adding:

“Thank you for telling me.”

Laurent is a little hopeful at this, maybe the other man just needed time to think.

“I know how hard it probably must’ve been to muster up the courage to tell me that,” He breaks off with a sigh.

“I guess I just never expected you to be that kind of guy.”

Laurent shifts on his feet awkwardly.

“What do you mean? Not the type of guy to fall in love?”

Makoto shrugs,

“I mean, yeah,” He scoffs.

Laurent hums, 

“I guess I do tend to give off that playboy image.”

Makoto looks extremely unamused, but goes on.

“That’s why I always leave Laurent.”

Now this gets Laurent attention, his eye brows rise into his hairline.

“I thought I could never take any of your advances seriously and that if I were to get involved with you I would just end up getting hurt.”

Laurent’s eyes widen to the point of resembling saucers as Makoto continues.

“I just can’t stay away though,” He mumbles with a touch of melancholy.

“You’ve really got a hold on me, Laurent.”

“Wait so you’re saying...?”

Laurent trails off unable to complete his thought, did this mean Makoto has feelings for him? Hope shot through Laurent like an arrow.

Makoto sighs and takes Laurent’s gloved hand, rubbing it between two of his own.

“I guess what I’m saying is, I have feelings for you too.”

These words shake Laurent to his core, and before he can think about it he pulls Makoto into an embrace, who makes a startled little sound, but relaxes into Laurent’s arms after a second. The anxiety he felt all but melts away, he pulls back to look Makoto in the eyes.

“The reason I want you around is because you make me better.” 

He says, elated, but seeing Makoto’s confused expression, he continues.

“You’re amazing Makoto, you have no idea! You make me want to be a better man for you, I’d do anything to be worthy of standing by your side.”

Makoto is blushing furiously,

“God, Laurent, you’re so stupid. Why couldn’t you have just said that in the first place?”

Laurent looks away sheepishly, blush high on his cheekbones.

“You have this way of flustering me.”

“Oh, do I now?”

Makoto teases.

Laurent loves the way Makoto’s warm body feels against his, he never wants to let go, but Makoto starts pulling away.

“We should start heading back. It's going to be dark soon.”

Laurent finds his body moving on its own accord, his hands come up to cup Makoto’s face and bring him in for a soft kiss. The other man is still at first, but Makoto, always so full of surprises, suddenly fists his hands in Laurent’s jacket and crushes their lips together.

His movements are clumsy and unpracticed, but all the more endearing to Laurent. Their teeth clack together, and Laurent can’t help the little moan that escapes him; want pools in his abdomen. He almost forgets about the evening chill. He’s wanted this for so long, he’ll have to thank Cynthia and Abby for their not so subtle advice. 

Makoto eventually pulls away to drag some air into his lungs, breathless after their kiss. Laurent knows he has the dopiest grin on his face, and Makoto tells him so, as he takes Laurent’s hand and leads them back the way they came.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope someone enjoys reading this as much as I enjoyed writing this very fluffy and self indulgent mess. I just love this show and I had to write a little something for it!


End file.
